OTTAWA – A new report from the Parliamentary Budget Office finds that the Conservative government’s spending restraint program is focusing on front line services, while back office spending continues to rise.

That’s exactly the opposite of promises made by Treasury Board President Tony Clement, who said last year that the majority of the spending cuts would target administrative and support costs and wouldn’t affect service to the public.

Overall, the independent budget office found that Ottawa’s spending was down 0.6 per cent through the first six months of the current fiscal year, which ends March 31.